Invention of the Radio
The radio is one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. In the simplest of terms, radios transmit radio waves or signals to each other that transmit as sounds or encrypted languages. For a lot of us, radios are no more than a source of entertainment and music to listen to while in the car, or in the olden days, sitting at home. There were times where sitting around the radio to listen to sport commentary was one of the ways to catch up on games. However, entertainment is not nearly the most significant purpose of a radio.
The invention of the radio is closely linked to those of the television and the telegraph, both of which were created as ways to communicate via wires. Televisions were a one-way form of communication, whereas with telegraphs one could have a double sided conversation. Where the television and telegraph made for communication using wires, radio came up as the first way to communicate amongst people wirelessly, and it was thus initially termed wireless telegraphy.
Guglielmo Marconi was the man who is credited with the invention of the radio in the year 1895. However, Marconi’s invention would not have been possible if the men who preceded him in the field of radio technology had not done what they did. James Clerk Maxwell was the man who predicted the existence of radio waves in 1860, while Heinrich Rudolph Hertz, 26 years later, proved it by comparing their existence with that of heat and light waves. The first instance of a wireless telegraph came about the same year, as well. Mahlon Loomis used two kites as antennae to move a meter from another meter. He had an incredibly curious mind to have thought up an experiment of the sort.
It was Marconi who eventually patented radio technology after having sent and received the first ever radio signals in the year 1895, within his country of residence, Italy. It was in 1899 that he sent a radio signal to a locale in what we today call Canada, and received an ‘S’ in response two years later via telegraph. This was known as the first radio telegraphic message, i.e. a wireless telegraph message! This was incredibly new at that point in time, and the next few years and decades saw the growth and increasing relevance of the radio.
The relevance of the radio
During the first quarter of the 20th century, radios were more or less used in ships out at sea. Of course, there is no way possible to connect wires to ships, so radio communication is the way to go. It is important to note that even though the radio was used for communication, it was done with the use of morse code rather than other languages. This was primarily because the signals were not all that spectacular, thus it was better to communicate in morse rather than risk not understanding what was spoken.
When taken in context with the political atmosphere of the time, i.e. before and during the World War I, the radio began to gain increasing importance. It saved the need for sending physical messengers out to the armies or back to the authorities, since communication could directly be via radio.
the authorities, since communication could directly be via radio.
Not too many decades later came World War II, where radios had once again taken utmost importance in communication. However, this time they weren’t only for the ones actively involved in war, but also for the civilians and the general public who began to depend on radio for the latest war updates and the like. In the years between World War I and II, radios had gained quite some popularity among civilians, and radio channels meant for the likes of such civilians, like BBC and KDKA came up in no time.
It was after the wars ended that radio began to take a different turn, towards the path of entertainment. FM radio came up where music was broadcasted to listeners. In no time, the radio came to be known for the device on which you can find the top music charts, amidst the decades of the 20th century that were known for their pop culture and the like — the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and the ‘80s.
Another extremely important use of radios and radio signals is in the practice of astronautics — yes, the job of astronauts. Radio signals can be so strong that they can be transmitted all the way from outer space to our stations on earth. It is the only method of communication that astronauts can use to communicate with the ground (or earth) as well as with other astronauts in space with them. It is rather fantastic to understand the importance of the radio when thinking of it like this.
To think that the invention of the radio was a result of someone being curious about ‘wireless telegraphs’ is such an exciting thought, because it leads us to believe that with a curious mind, anything can happen.
Click here to take the Curiosity Test to find your Curiosity Type, to help you kickstart your path following your curiosity.
